Audi A4 / S4 vs. Honda Accord Reliability by Model Generation

Results are for year ending September 30, 2017. Only successfully completed repairs are currently included in the analysis. Routine maintenance, most wear items, recalls, and problems fixed with just a reflash or warning light reset are not included.

TrueDelta Reviews the Reliability And Durability of the Audi A4

Audi A4 Reliability And Durability: Cons

Year

Comment

2017

I could easily list a few more reasons to buy the new Audi A4 (and will still discuss these): extremely secure handling, a polished ride, top safety scores. Why not to buy one? Well, an A4 isn't cheap--the moderately equipped tested car listed for $47,900--but a similarly configured Lexus IS costs a little more (2WD, AWD) and European competitors can cost considerably more.
The key reason some people will buy a Lexus IS rather than an Audi A4 is that Audis, while far more reliable than in the past, and generally good bets for their first four-to-six years, still don't promise to be largely problem free for ten-plus years the way Lexus cars do.
Leasing? Then there's little reason not to opt for the Audi.
full 2017 Audi A4 review

What Our Members Are Saying about the Reliability And Durability of the Audi A4

Audi A4 Reliability And Durability: Pros

Year

Body/Powertrain

Comment

2013

4dr Sedan turbocharged 211hp 2.0L I48-speed shiftable CVT FWD

This Car is like a bad Girlfriend, Very Exciting, take her places, give her status, give her lots of money, Lots. And give her love, lots of Love
... and she just won't love you back.
Two complete engine failures due to rings. And this car was maintained meticulously with 5w-30w Synthetic Oil .
Complete engine Replacement at 89,000 miles due to piston ring failure in Cyl. #4. $9,000
Complete engine Replacement AGAIN at 116,000 due to Piston Ring Failure in Cyl. #2.
This is a 2013 car. 3 years old. 2.0 Turbo Engine
A new Audi crate engine is about $7,200 just for the engine. Then of course there is dealer labor and add ons. Just now quoted at $3,700 labor.
You do the math.
Here is the double cool part. A factory engine in a factory car has a 50,000 mile warranty. A factory engine installed by the Audi technician at an Audi Dealership, 12,000 mile warranty.
If I was racing this car on the track I could accept those kinds of engine failure numbers. But I'm an "old guy" just doing average city and freeway driving.
It appears I am not alone, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/9815860/German-cars-lose-out-in-reliability-survey.html
Warranty Direct underwriters did the engine failure rate survey by Brand

Dont walk; Run from any 4 cylinder Audi. There are many better alternatives. The engine block is solid; Everything attached to it is waiting to fail, usually with collateral damage. 5,000 USD has been spent over years 2013-2015 for service with a Audi/VW ASE INDI shop charging conservativly (due to the frequency I was forced to visit).
Many interior trim pieces, while soft to the touch, are begining to seperate and fail.
Sunroof rattles all the time. Power seats worked in some directions. Handy under storage seat bins were a nice addition.
Timing belt service requies removal on the entire front clip, headlamps, crash bar, radiator, etc. The 2.0 also employs a timing chain on the rear of the engine driven by the exhaust camshaft (itself driven by the timing belt), which drives the intake camshaft and houses a variable valve timing unit. The chain and tensioner assy. are prone to failure after 110k and should be replaced along with the high pressure pump's cam follower. This 15-20$ follower is the achilees tendon of the entire cam-tower & pistons, I've seen the black protective coating worn away within 5k miles on my car. After the black surface coating is worn away, the cam lob begins shave the metal surface of the cam follower, dropping the metal shards into the oil flow. Fuel also mixes with the oil commonly at this pump due to seal failure inside the pump housing. Oil change intervals should not exceed 5k miles for this engine.
Evap emissions system is effectively useless as the manufactorer has shipped/contiues to ship known sub-par components (leak-check pump & assy.), which causes intermittent MIL warnings and continued, pending OBD codes.Eventually, after 10-15k miles the vacuum's check control pump fails completely and requires replacement or a constant check engine lamp and lowered MPG's/hp. The faulty system will not pass an emissions inspection until replaced with a new, less broken unit from the dealer.
full 2006 Audi A4 review

I bought this car new and it now has well over 250,000 miles. The car is completely stock and I believe that has helped to keep the engine running well as it seems the stock ECU is throttled way back so it is a bit under powered. It has begun to use a small amount (about one quart) of oil between 10,000 mile synthetic oil changes. No signs of turbo problems, yet. All repais and maintenance have been done in my own garage. There is a large list of repairs I've had to deal with. After 14 years, I can recall 3 times the car left me stranded. The first fuel pump failed before 100k miles, the second fuel pump failed at approx 210K miles. The left front axle shaft fell off (my own stupidity) once after I failed to properly torque the axle shaft bolts to the transmission flange. The clutch was replaced at 220K miles. Numerous sensors, check valves, and the entire crankcase breather system has been replaced. 2 left front wheel bearings, new radiator and 2 valve cover gaskets. Too many other mundane items to list. It seems there is always some part failing and throwing another Check Engine code. Overall, I really enjoy driving it and find the driving dynamics excellent. It still has the all the original suspension parts including shock/struts. I am very suprised at how the well the drive train/suspension has help up. The interior has held up well too. The exterior paint seems to have withstood all these years and it cleans up nicely. Many friends/coworkers can't believe it's 14 years old.
full 2002 Audi A4 review

Audi A4 Reliability And Durability: Cons

Year

Body/Powertrain

Comment

2013

4dr Sedan turbocharged 211hp 2.0L I48-speed shiftable CVT FWD

This Car is like a bad Girlfriend, Very Exciting, take her places, give her status, give her lots of money,Lots. And give herlove, lots of Love
... and she just won't love you back.
Two complete engine failures due to rings. And this car was maintained meticulously with 5w-30w Synthetic Oil.
Complete engine Replacement at 89,000 miles due to piston ring failure in Cyl. #4. $9,000
Complete engine Replacement AGAIN at 116,000 due to Piston Ring Failure in Cyl. #2.
This is a 2013 car. 3 years old. 2.0 Turbo Engine
A new Audi crate engine is about $7,200 just for the engine. Then of course there is dealer labor and add ons. Just now quoted at $3,700 for labor.
You do the math.
If I was racing this car on the track I could accept those kinds of engine failure numbers. But I'm an "old guy" just doing average city and freeway driving.
It appears, I'm not alone http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/9815860/German-cars-lose-out-in-reliability-survey.html
Warranty Direct underwriters did the survey of engine failure by brand.

Do not buy one of these used unless the timing chain pre-tensioners have been replaced. There are a lot of complaints of these breaking at 100,000 miles. Mine went at 99,100 miles and the dealer quoted me $10,000 to fix. I had to sell this car at a loss. What a waste!
full 2006 Audi A4 review

I had a lot of unexpected problems with the vehicle. Perhaps it was my luck, but I certainly wouldn't have purchased the car if I knew how much I was going to spend on repairs. Turbo failure, oil filter housing failure, PCV assembly failure, rear brake failure, rear spring cracked in half, to name a few. I only had this car for 35,000km!
full 2006 Audi A4 review

The two cars I looked at were low mileage 2005s, CPO, and both had full service history, of which there was a lot. Both cars noted cooling issues and problems with the steering system repaired under warranty. Also numerous electrical problems.
full 2005 Audi A4 review

TrueDelta Reviews the Reliability And Durability of the Audi A4

Audi A4 Reliability And Durability: Cons

Year

Comment

2017

I could easily list a few more reasons to buy the new Audi A4 (and will still discuss these): extremely secure handling, a polished ride, top safety scores. Why not to buy one? Well, an A4 isn't cheap--the moderately equipped tested car listed for $47,900--but a similarly configured Lexus IS costs a little more (2WD, AWD) and European competitors can cost considerably more.
The key reason some people will buy a Lexus IS rather than an Audi A4 is that Audis, while far more reliable than in the past, and generally good bets for their first four-to-six years, still don't promise to be largely problem free for ten-plus years the way Lexus cars do.
Leasing? Then there's little reason not to opt for the Audi.
full 2017 Audi A4 review

What Our Members Are Saying about the Reliability And Durability of the Audi A4

Audi A4 Reliability And Durability: Pros

Year

Body/Powertrain

Comment

2013

4dr Sedan turbocharged 211hp 2.0L I48-speed shiftable CVT FWD

This Car is like a bad Girlfriend, Very Exciting, take her places, give her status, give her lots of money, Lots. And give her love, lots of Love
... and she just won't love you back.
Two complete engine failures due to rings. And this car was maintained meticulously with 5w-30w Synthetic Oil .
Complete engine Replacement at 89,000 miles due to piston ring failure in Cyl. #4. $9,000
Complete engine Replacement AGAIN at 116,000 due to Piston Ring Failure in Cyl. #2.
This is a 2013 car. 3 years old. 2.0 Turbo Engine
A new Audi crate engine is about $7,200 just for the engine. Then of course there is dealer labor and add ons. Just now quoted at $3,700 labor.
You do the math.
Here is the double cool part. A factory engine in a factory car has a 50,000 mile warranty. A factory engine installed by the Audi technician at an Audi Dealership, 12,000 mile warranty.
If I was racing this car on the track I could accept those kinds of engine failure numbers. But I'm an "old guy" just doing average city and freeway driving.
It appears I am not alone, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/9815860/German-cars-lose-out-in-reliability-survey.html
Warranty Direct underwriters did the engine failure rate survey by Brand

Dont walk; Run from any 4 cylinder Audi. There are many better alternatives. The engine block is solid; Everything attached to it is waiting to fail, usually with collateral damage. 5,000 USD has been spent over years 2013-2015 for service with a Audi/VW ASE INDI shop charging conservativly (due to the frequency I was forced to visit).
Many interior trim pieces, while soft to the touch, are begining to seperate and fail.
Sunroof rattles all the time. Power seats worked in some directions. Handy under storage seat bins were a nice addition.
Timing belt service requies removal on the entire front clip, headlamps, crash bar, radiator, etc. The 2.0 also employs a timing chain on the rear of the engine driven by the exhaust camshaft (itself driven by the timing belt), which drives the intake camshaft and houses a variable valve timing unit. The chain and tensioner assy. are prone to failure after 110k and should be replaced along with the high pressure pump's cam follower. This 15-20$ follower is the achilees tendon of the entire cam-tower & pistons, I've seen the black protective coating worn away within 5k miles on my car. After the black surface coating is worn away, the cam lob begins shave the metal surface of the cam follower, dropping the metal shards into the oil flow. Fuel also mixes with the oil commonly at this pump due to seal failure inside the pump housing. Oil change intervals should not exceed 5k miles for this engine.
Evap emissions system is effectively useless as the manufactorer has shipped/contiues to ship known sub-par components (leak-check pump & assy.), which causes intermittent MIL warnings and continued, pending OBD codes.Eventually, after 10-15k miles the vacuum's check control pump fails completely and requires replacement or a constant check engine lamp and lowered MPG's/hp. The faulty system will not pass an emissions inspection until replaced with a new, less broken unit from the dealer.
full 2006 Audi A4 review

I bought this car new and it now has well over 250,000 miles. The car is completely stock and I believe that has helped to keep the engine running well as it seems the stock ECU is throttled way back so it is a bit under powered. It has begun to use a small amount (about one quart) of oil between 10,000 mile synthetic oil changes. No signs of turbo problems, yet. All repais and maintenance have been done in my own garage. There is a large list of repairs I've had to deal with. After 14 years, I can recall 3 times the car left me stranded. The first fuel pump failed before 100k miles, the second fuel pump failed at approx 210K miles. The left front axle shaft fell off (my own stupidity) once after I failed to properly torque the axle shaft bolts to the transmission flange. The clutch was replaced at 220K miles. Numerous sensors, check valves, and the entire crankcase breather system has been replaced. 2 left front wheel bearings, new radiator and 2 valve cover gaskets. Too many other mundane items to list. It seems there is always some part failing and throwing another Check Engine code. Overall, I really enjoy driving it and find the driving dynamics excellent. It still has the all the original suspension parts including shock/struts. I am very suprised at how the well the drive train/suspension has help up. The interior has held up well too. The exterior paint seems to have withstood all these years and it cleans up nicely. Many friends/coworkers can't believe it's 14 years old.
full 2002 Audi A4 review

Audi A4 Reliability And Durability: Cons

Year

Body/Powertrain

Comment

2013

4dr Sedan turbocharged 211hp 2.0L I48-speed shiftable CVT FWD

This Car is like a bad Girlfriend, Very Exciting, take her places, give her status, give her lots of money,Lots. And give herlove, lots of Love
... and she just won't love you back.
Two complete engine failures due to rings. And this car was maintained meticulously with 5w-30w Synthetic Oil.
Complete engine Replacement at 89,000 miles due to piston ring failure in Cyl. #4. $9,000
Complete engine Replacement AGAIN at 116,000 due to Piston Ring Failure in Cyl. #2.
This is a 2013 car. 3 years old. 2.0 Turbo Engine
A new Audi crate engine is about $7,200 just for the engine. Then of course there is dealer labor and add ons. Just now quoted at $3,700 for labor.
You do the math.
If I was racing this car on the track I could accept those kinds of engine failure numbers. But I'm an "old guy" just doing average city and freeway driving.
It appears, I'm not alone http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/9815860/German-cars-lose-out-in-reliability-survey.html
Warranty Direct underwriters did the survey of engine failure by brand.

Do not buy one of these used unless the timing chain pre-tensioners have been replaced. There are a lot of complaints of these breaking at 100,000 miles. Mine went at 99,100 miles and the dealer quoted me $10,000 to fix. I had to sell this car at a loss. What a waste!
full 2006 Audi A4 review

I had a lot of unexpected problems with the vehicle. Perhaps it was my luck, but I certainly wouldn't have purchased the car if I knew how much I was going to spend on repairs. Turbo failure, oil filter housing failure, PCV assembly failure, rear brake failure, rear spring cracked in half, to name a few. I only had this car for 35,000km!
full 2006 Audi A4 review

The two cars I looked at were low mileage 2005s, CPO, and both had full service history, of which there was a lot. Both cars noted cooling issues and problems with the steering system repaired under warranty. Also numerous electrical problems.
full 2005 Audi A4 review